Historiebloggen: Oium

Oium or Aujum was a name for an area in Scythia, where arguably the Goths under their king Filimer settled after leaving Gothiscandza, according to the Getica by Jordanes, written around 551. Jordanes does not give the etymology, but many scholars interpret this word as a dative plural to the widespread Germanic words *aujō- or *auwō- and means "well-watered meadow" or "island".

According to some historians, Jordanes' account of the Goths' history in Oium was constructed from his reading of earlier classical accounts and from oral tradition. According to other historians, Jordanes narrative has little relation to Cassiodorus, no relation to oral traditions, and little relation to actual history.

Jordanes states that king Filimer led the Goths in a search for suitable lands and when they arrived in Oium, they were delighted with the richness of the land. They crossed a bridge to get there, but when half the army had made it across, the bridge fell into ruin, and so no one else could pass into the area anymore. According to Jordanes, the Goths claimed the land for themselves and defeated the previous inhabitants, the Spali.

The Goths left Oium in a second migration to Moesia, Dacia and Thrace, but eventually returned, settling north of the Black Sea. Upon their return, they were divided under two ruling dynasties. The Visigoths were ruled by the Balþi and the Ostrogoths by the Amali. This account fits the patterns of the Wielbark culture and the Chernyakhiv culture/Santana de Mureṣ, which show a Germanic migration from the Vistula Basin to Ukraine.

Merger with Scythian, Dacian, Thracian and Hittite history from classic sources

Jordanes made a number of dubious and/or unverifiable statements regarding the Goths: suggesting that the Getae were Goths "on the testimony of Orosius Paulus"; the Goths were descendents of both Scythians and Thracians and that all three had a shared history; the royal line of the Goths had originated near the Sea of Azov, before moving northward toward Scandia where it established a separate priest-king line on the island of Gotland, and; Tanausis, a "Gothic" king fought Vesosis, the king of Egypt in a battle at the river of Phasis and then pursued the Egyptians all the way back to Egypt. Classical writers used the name Phasis to refer both to the Rioni River in Georgia, and to the Aras River, especially its upper reaches in what is now eastern Turkey.

After Tanausis death, the Goths were said to have embarked on another expedition, and a neighbouring tribe tried to kidnap the Gothic women. However, the women defended themselves and defeated the attackers under the leaders Lampedo and Marpesia. The two leaders cast lots, and Marpesia pursued the enemy into Asia where she conquered many tribes and apparently formed the Amazons.

The story continues with the Gothic (Getic) king Antyrus, also known as Dromihete, being approached by Lisimachus, former general of Alexander the AGreat who wanted to conquer Dacia for its gold and rich land. However Dromihete (Antyrus) defeated and captured Lisimachus. Instead of killing Lisimachus, Dromihete invited Lisimachus and his generals to sit down and eat all together. The meal for Lisimachus and his generals was served in gold plates whilst the meal for Dromihete and his men in wooden plates. When Lisimachus asked why he chose wooden plates, Dromihete answers that this is just to show Lisimachus his generosity for everyone coming as a guest-visitor. By eating from the wooden plates, Dromihete wanted to show that there is nothing of value in Dacia.

At another point in the narrative, Philip II allied with the Goths by marrying Medopa who was the daughter of king Gudila. However, Philip needed gold and wanted to pillage the town of Odessos, a town belonging to the Goths. The Goths sent out their goðis who were dressed in white and played harps, chanting to their gods to help them. This stunned the Macedonians so much that they returned.

According to Jordanes, a king named Sitalces wanted revenge much later, and gathered 150 000 men to attack the Athenians. He fought Perdiccas II, whom Alexander I had left as a ruler, and the Goths laid Greece waste.

When Burebista was king, he had a priest named Decaeneus. He gave the Goths (Getae) (Dacians) laws, named bi-lageineis, taught them logic, philosophy and astrology. Then he selected a priestly elite who was taught theology and named them the Pilleati. The remainder of the Goths (Dacian) were called the Capillati.

Julius Caesar tried to subdue the Goths (Dacians) without success, and the Goths (Dacians) also remained free during the reign of Tiberius.

When Decaeneus was dead, Comosicus took his place, and after Comosicus, Scoryllus ruled the Goths-Getae in Dacia.

A long time passed and the Romans were ruled by Emperor Domitian (A.D. 81-96). Domitian was set to conquer Dacia. As the Goths-Getae (historically, the Dacians) feared his avarice, they broke the truce with the Romans and pillaged the banks of the Danube and killed the soldiers and the generals. At this time Diurpaneus (king Duras-Diurpaneus of Dacia 69–86 or Decebalus who ruled 87-106) was king of the Goths-Getae (today Romania) and Oppius Sabinus was the governor of Moesia (having succeeded Fontejus Agrippa) (69–70). In 85 when Oppius Sabinus tried to conquer Dacians, the Goths (Dacians) beheaded Oppius Sabinus and plundered many Roman cities and fortifications. Domitian arrived with the legions to Illyria and sent Fuscus with a selected force. Fuscus used boats to build a pontoon bridge and crossed the Danube upstream from the Goths. The Gothic army defeated the Romans yet again, killed Fuscus and pillaged the Roman camp (86 AD). Several Romanian and American historians wrote about Jordanes' errors when considering that Getae were Goths.

The Goths' history

After this use of Dacian, Thracian and Scythian history, Jordanes returns to Gothic tradition by reciting the line of descent of the Gothic royal family from Gapt (Gaut or Odin).

This digression is followed by a statement that the Goths entered Moesia and Thrace in the late 2nd century where they stayed for some time. Based on Quintus Aurelius Symmachus, he writes that Emperor Maximinus Thrax (235 AD - 238 AD) was the son of a Goth who arrived at this time and an Alan woman.

Norse mythology

In the Hervarar saga, there is an account of Gothic legendary history and of battles with the Huns, and it may have been composed by Geats in southern Sweden, who have a prominent place in the poetry. The saga conveys names of historical places in Ukraine during the period c. 150-450, and they comprise for instance a form of the name for the Carpathians which most scholars agree is "a relic of extremely ancient tradition". The Goths' capital is called Árheimar and is located on the Danpar (Dnipro). The place name Árheimar has been connected to the name Oium by both Heinzel and Schütte.

In this legend, the Scandinavian Heidrek usurps the Gothic throne in Reidgotaland. Heidrek appears to establish a first contact with the Huns by kidnapping the Hun Princess Sifka, raping her and sending her back to the Huns pregnant with Hlöd. When Heidrek dies in the Carpathians, his son Angantyr succeeds him. However, his second son Hlöd, who had grown up with the Huns, claims his inheritance and attacks with a Hunnish horde comprising 187 200 mounted warriors.

The Goths are aided by the old Geatish king Gizur, and the war ends in an epic battle on the plains of the Danube, when Angantyr slays his brother Hlod.